Combination warning signal and trouble lamp



Dec. 2, 1952 E. E. FRANZ 2,620,388

COMBINATION WARNING SIGNAL AND TROUBLE LAMP Filed May 8, 1952 I COLORED SHELL mms/TOR. EwrLEF'rn TRANSLUCENT zea el coLoREv SHELL.

A T'ORNEYS Patented Dec. 2, 1952 OFFICE v COMBINATION WARNING SIGNAL AND TROUBLE LAMP Earl' E. Franz, Canton, ohio Application May 8, 1952, Serial No. 286,670

' 4 Claims.

The invention 4relates to electric lights land more particularly to atransport-able electric lantern having a flexible cordfor connection to an automobile ignition circuit.

An object of the invention is to provide such a lantern which may optionally be used to throw a beam yof light in any desired direction as manually manipulated, and which simultaneously provides a diffused red light around the lantern.

Another object is to provide a lantern of the type referred to having lighting facilitiesin one of its end walls, the entire casing of the lantern being formed of a transparent or translucent colored material having a light bulb therein for producing a diffused colored light.

A further object is to provide such. av lantern having. a bail pivotally secured thereon for thel purpose of manually carrying the lantern, or for providing a stand or supporting b ase for the lantern.

A still further object is to provide a lantern having means for throwing a beam of White light and means for providing a red light iiasher or winker, for use by motorists rduring the changing of tires or the` making of repairs While on a highway, to warn traffic of such Vstop for repairs and thus eliminate accidents caused by vehicles stalled on a highway.

Another object of the invention is to provide av simple and easily assembled construction of lantern including a cylindrical shell of .translucent colored material open at oneend, a cup-shaped reflector being inserted. intothe open end of the shell and having light bulb sockets attached thereto for supporting a light bulb within the reflector and a second light bulb within the shell, a switch being carried by the reflector for controlling the circuit to the light bulb.

- A further object is to provide such a lantern in which the shell isprovided with a longitudinal slot at its open end, -a grooved' panel being connectedvto the reflectorand insertable within said slot.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from the drawing and following description, or which may be later` referred to, may be attained by constructing the improved lantern in the manner hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in theA accompanying drawing, in Which: Y

Fig. l is a side elevation of a lantern embodying the invention, showing the adjustable bail positioned to serve as a standor supporting base for thev lantern, and showing indotted lines the manner in which the bail may be adjusted to pro' vide a handle for carrying the lantern; v

Fig. 2 a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view through the lantern, showing the manner in whichvthe detachable 'reflector carrying the light bulb sockets and other parts is inserted into the open end of the shell;

Fig. 3 a detached s ide elevation of the removable reiiector with sockets and light bulbs, flasher and switch carried thereby; and,

Fig. 4 a fragmentary, sectional view taken as on the line 4 4, Fig. l.

The improved lantern to which the invention relates comprises a cylindrical shell I0, formed of a red translucent or transparent material such as plastic or the like, having one end open as shown at I I, the opposite closed end being preferably of semi-spherical shape as indicated at I2.

For the purpose of providing means foroptionally manually carrying the lantern or supporting it upon a road or the like, a bail I3 is provided, having opposite ends thereof pivot-ally connected to opposite sides of the shell I0, at points spaced from the closed end thereof, as indicated at I4. This bail is of angular shape having the shorter legs I5 and the longer` U-shape portion I6. Y

At the pivotal points of the bail, bosses I'I may be formed upon the sides of the shell I0, having angularly disposed grooves I8 and I9 therein for engaging the shorter legs I5 of the bail for holding them in the full line position shown in Fig. 1, to form a stand orsupporting base for the lantern, or in the dotted line position to provide a handle forv manually carrying the lantern.

A detachable sheet metal cup-shaped reflectorv 20 is provided, of suitable size to be inserted into,

the open end II of the shell I0 and having the peripheral ilange 2l adapted to be engaged over said open end of the shell.

This reflector may be of any suitable cupshape, preferably being tapered inwardly from its outer end for a distance, as indicated at 22, and then tapered at a greater angle, as at 23, having the flat inner wall 24.

An important feature of the invention is the assembling of the light bulbs in their sockets, flasher if desired, switch, circuit wires and ilexible connector cord upon the reflector, so that they may be all removed from the shell as a unit with the reflector.

Anangular ring 25 is provided for engaging over the end of the reflector and the open end portion of the shell for holding the reflector in assembled position upon the shell, as best shown inFig.2.

A bracket l26 is attached to the Iflat inner wall 24 of the reflector, asfby bolts 21 or the like, and has mounted thereon sockets yfor receiving the li-ght bulb 28, located within the reiiector, and t'he light `bulb 29, located Within the shell I0. y

The lsocket for the` bulb |28 comprises the spring clip 30, for engaging the-base 3| of the-bulb 2:'8, and the terminal 32 for contact with the terminal end l33 of the bulb. In like manner the socket for the light 'bulb 29 comprises the spring clip 34, for

engaging the base `35 of the bulb, and the terminal 3B for contacting the terminal end 31 of the bulb.

A flasher, indicated generally at 33, may be provided in the circuit to the light bulb l219 and is supported upon the reflector yassembly by the rigid conductor Wire 39, connected to the bracket 26 as by one of the bolts 21, and by the rigid conductor wire '49 connected to the terminal 3B.

A switch, indicated generally at 4|, is 'located in the circuit and adapte-d to be manually operated, as by the switch butt-on 42. This switch is connected by a wire 43 with the terminal 32 and by Wire I44 with the flasher 38.

A wire 45, leading yfrom the switch, and a wire 46,'leading `from the bracket 26, join to form the flexible cord 41 upon the end of which may be located any conventional type lof connector plug 48 adapted to be inserted into the socket of a cigarette lighter in the instrument panel of an automobile.

In order to support the switch 4I upon the reflector 20 a grooved strip 49, which may be formed of plastic or other suitable material, is rigidly connected to one 'side of the reflector, as by the rivet 50 located through the reduced end 5l of the strip 49A and through the adjacent portion of lthe reecto-r. The 4switch `4l is rigidly `mounted upon this grooved strip 49.

The strip 49 is preferably rounded at its inner end., as at 52, and a continuous groove -53 extends along the upper edge, rounded inner end and the lower `edge of the strip 49. A slot 54, of suitable size to receive the grooved strip '49, is formed at the open end of the shell l and the strip 49 i-s slidably received in. this slot.

For the purpose of permitting cooling air to pass through the shell I9, louvers *55 may be formed in opposite sidesy thereof, so that air continuously pas-sing through the shell will prevent Voverheating of the shell yfrom the bulb y2 9.

With this con-structionV it will be seen that both light bulbs, with the entire circuit therefor, `including the flasher and switch, are carried-as an assembly upon the reflector 2|] so as to be removed asa unit from the shell l0.

From the above it will be apparent that a simple, inexpensive and efficient lantern is provided which may be manually manipulated to. direct a beam of light from the light bulb 1218 onto a Itire, or other portion of an automobile being repaired, -while the bulb 29 within the translucent shell lll `will provide a diffused red Warning light which may intermittently flash or wink if desired.

It will also be seen that the bail may be easily and quickly adjusted to form either a handle for manually manipulating the lantern or -a stand or base4 support for supporting the lantern on a roadway or the like for providing a Warning light.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitationsY are to be lmplied therefrom beyond the requirements of the :prior art, because such Words are used for ldescriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of lthe present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the inventi-on or discovery, the construction, theoperation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and the advan- 4 tageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety lantern comprising a translucent colored shell open at one end, a cup-shaped reflector -means ydetachably mounting the reflector 4within the open end of the shell, la light bulb within the reflect-or, a socket for said light bulb mounted upon the exterior of the reflector, there being an opening in the reflector to receive the base of the light bulb, a second socket mounted upon the exterior of the reflector and a light bulb located in said second socket upon the exterior of the rellector and within the shell.

2. A safety lantern comprising a translucent colored shell open at one end, a cup-shaped rellector means detachably mounting the reflector within the open end of the shell, a light bulb within the reflector, c, socket for said light bulb mounted upon the exterior of the reflector, there being an openingr in the reflector to receive the base of the light bulb, a second socket mounted upon the exterior of the reflector and a light bulb located in said second socket upon the ex-Y terior of the reector and within the shell, a circuit to said light bulbs and a switch in the circuit and mounted upon the reflector.

3. A safety lantern comprising a translucent colored shell open at one end, :a cup-shaped reflector means detachably mounting the reilector within the open end of the shell, a light bulb within the reflector, a socket for said light bulb mounted upon the. exterior of the reflector, there being an opening in the reflector to receive the base of the light bulb, a second socket mounted upon the exterior of the reflector and a light bulb locatedv in said second socket upon the exterior of the reflector and. within the shell, a. circuit to said light bulbs, a flasher in the circuit to the last named light bulb, and a. switch in the circuit and mounted upon the reflector.

4. A safety lantern comprising a translucent colored shell open at one end, a cup-shaped reilector. means detachably mounting the reflector within, the open end of the shell, a light bulbV within the reflector, a socket for said light bulb mounted upon the exterior of the reflector, there being an opening in the reflector to receive the base of the light bulb', a second socket mounted upon the exterior of the reflector and a light bulb located in said second socket upon the exterior of the reflector and within thev shell, a grooved panel connected to the exterior of the reilector,A there beingY a slot in the open end of the shell to receive said grooved panel, a, circuit to said light bulbs and a switch in the circuit and mounted upon said grooved panel.

EARL E. FRANZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent: Y

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

